What we love…

Fun easy to use leveled math app that encouraged my son to practice his math skills

What we’d love to see…

ability to test out of content your child may already be familiar with, ability to turn off the sound affects within the app

Summary

I am looking forward to continuing to use the app with my son for his remaining homework assignments before school lets out and during the summer for part of his screen time to ensure that he stays on track with his math skills.

Our Rating

Zap Zap Math – K6 Math Games by Visual Math Interactive Sdn. Bhd. is a universal app for iOS that focuses on #commoncore math skills. The free app with gated in-app purchases (IAP) includes content for children from kindergarten through sixth grade to learn, master and be quizzed on math materials using games. The app itself contains over 150 games and over 180 math subtopics and is common core aligned to the Ontario Curriculum for Mathematics. For purposes of the review, I was given a full user ID and tested using second grade material since that is the grade my older son is in. The premium subscription is $9.99 USD and is charged on an annual basis. For those that purchase the full subscription there is also a web-based dashboard so you can check on your child’s progress.

Skills practiced within the app include: Addition, Subtraction, Fractions, Ratios, Multiplication, Geometry, Coordinates, Measurements, Angles, Time. Each “year” within the app is a full school year’s worth of content which is fantastic for home practice during homework time, for homeschooling families or simply to prevent the “summer slide”.

Within the app, there are four different skill areas to use: training, accuracy, speed, mission. There is no spoken language contained within the app, but there are written directions as well as video tutorials to show you what to do for each of the mini games. After completing problems correctly, the words “good job” or stars are flashed on the screen. After taking the quiz, you are shown the results of your work as well as given a time bonus (if completed faster than allowed) to give you a total score.

Training – this is the area where your child learns the skill and gets a tutorial about how to do it.

Speed Building – the skill itself is learned and now the focus is on completing the task in a faster manner

Mission – this brings all the pieces together when you rocket into outer space with a fun mini game

One of the things we liked was that there was a tutorial for each type of game. This made sure we understood how to play it because it included step by step directions and a sample problem for you to complete. My son in particular enjoyed the hive game as he had to connect different equations together to complete the problem. At the end of each mission, you see your accuracy and score as well as a number of “Z” coins which are in app currency to purchase items. We also liked the wide variety of games and frankly the huge amount of free content available to users without purchasing a subscription. This app really allowed you to “try before you buy”.

In terms of enhancements, it would be nice if there were a way to “test” out of content. My son was familiar in some cases with the content and kept telling me how “boring” it was to have to relearn a skill that he already knew. I also would like to be able to turn off the background sound within the app, my son found the ticking and various noises distracting so we ended up muting our device, but it would be nice if there was an easier way to do it. I’d also like a collaboration space, my son’s math curriculum is very visually based and several times he actually wanted to use the number line or draw out the math problem. You can see the number line in the training mode, but you can’t manipulate it which was something he requested. I would also like to see a parent gated area that contains the rating as well as a way to see the dashboard from my device in a future release.

Above is a screenshot of a sample dashboard that shows what skills each student is practicing along with accuracy, amount of time played, number of attempts. You can also click through to get a more detailed report.

I am looking forward to continuing to use the app with my son for his remaining homework assignments before school lets out and during the summer for part of his screen time to ensure that he stays on track with his math skills. This is a great app to try and see if it works for your family, the $9.99 in app purchase/annually seems affordable for the amount of content contained within the app. There are external links, however, they are parental gated.

Screenshots

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Screenshots for iPad

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NOTE: A fee was received to expedite this review to the top of our waiting list but this payment has not influenced the objectivity of the review and all opinions have been offered honestly.The links in this post may contain affiliate links where The iMums will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on our link, this helps to support the costs of running this site and we appreciate your support.

What we love…

fun way for kids and adults to practice critical thinking skills.. I would often take Otto and my son would take Calvin and we would try to see who could finish the path first

What we’d love to see…

the coins appear for a little longer as well as more “hints” especially for younger kids

Summary

Overall, this is a fun app which encourages creative thinking in a fun and interactive way that helps kids learn but they don’t realize they are learning.

Our Rating

Patchmania KIDS – A Puzzle About Bunny Revenge! is a universal app for iOS by app developer Little Details. This fun app is designed for preschool though adult and features a variety of problem solving quizzes which involve a bunny named Calvin who is after carrots, a farmer and Otto. The app utilizes critical thinking skills as you have to draw a path to get to the hole quickly before the farmer comes to catch you. As the levels get harder items are added like stumps, rocks and lines which require you to think on your feet to get to the end the fastest. As you go through the levels you can earn coins which are used for hints if you get stuck. There are no in-app purchases contained within this version of the app, however, the app includes “coins” which you earn as you complete the various levels and can be used to buy hints. There is another version of the app in the app store which does contain IAP so be sure to get the “kids” version if you plan to let your kids use it. The app includes 625 puzzles which teach reasoning, creative thinking and problem solving with an original story and multiple different backgrounds that you can unlock as you progress.

I loved this app, it made my son think on his feet to get to the end quickly and he didn’t even realize that he was problem solving. My husband and I were away earlier this week and he even played it on his free time trying to see how far he could get! That’s a huge win especially because we have lots of apps on our device. It’s cute and user friendly and the levels get harder over time which means that kids progress but they don’t have it get so hard they get “stuck” and frustrated! As you complete each level you are awarded a rating – for the most part my son didn’t look at these. You also have to choose which animal you want to get the items first which involves reasoning to get to the hole first. As we got better, my son would take one of the animals and I would do the other where we “released” at the same time to see which of us completed first! I really enjoyed it as a parent too for those moments when you are waiting to pickup and have a few minutes to spare in the car line parked.

In terms of enhancements, my son didn’t like it that the “coins” which you earned in the app popped up and disappeared so fast as he sometimes was so focused on getting to the end of the hole that he didn’t see them until they were gone. I’d also like to see more hints especially for younger kids – maybe via a toggle switch in the settings which takes you to a parental area where you can also turn off Game Center integration. I chose not to use Game Center integration which I turned off in the settings of my iPad.

There are no in-app purchases or advertising.

Overall, this is a fun app which encourages creative thinking in a fun and interactive way that helps kids learn but they don’t realize they are learning. The hints keep them from getting frustrated and critical thinking and reasoning skills are accomplished with active learning in a fun way.

What we love…

Cute, fun, Lalaloopsy theme. Variety of foods and ingredients. Works on multi-tasking, time management, memory and fine motor skills in a fun way

What we’d love to see…

a little more leeway in some of the fine motor tasks

Summary

a great child-friendly alternative to time management games like Diner Dash.

Our Rating

Lalaloopsy Diner is a fun time management games for kids from Cupcake Digital. With this app children learn to multi-task as they cook and serve up a variety of food to the ragdolls of Lalaloopsy Land. The app is child-friendly with no 3rd party adverts or in-app purchases. Social Media and app-store links are in a locked parents area (accessed by entering birth year).

The app has 40 levels, these are divided into 4 sections: Moon-gaze Masquerade, Showtime Shindig, Slumberland Soiree and Sew Sweet Social. In each section you learn to cook different food. In the first section, Moon-gaze Masquerade, you cook burgers starting out simply cooking burgers on just one pan, with a small choice of toppings. As you move through the levels more topping choices are unlocked, the customers orders become more complex and more customers want serving at the same time. You also unlock the ability to cook more than one item at a time. You earn buttons (money) by selling food, and happy customers will tip. The buttons you collect can be used to buy things in the store. Some of the store items are purely aesthetic e.g. different colored wallpaper or a new clock for the diner, and you use your tip money to buy these extras; but others make your life easier such as better quality pans that are less likely to burn or faster cookers, these upgrades are purchased with the profits from your sales.

As you enter a new section you learn to cook a new type food such as hot dogs, pizza or pancakes. Again you start out simply and unlock more toppings, more food choices and the ability to cook multiple items at once as you move through the levels. Each food type has it’s own unique set of toppings and each customer has their own favorites – and they have some very unusual tastes!! Marshmallow hot dogs anyone ? or chocolate chip burgers with pickles and mustard or maybe pizza with anchovies, olives, chocolate chips and whipped cream ?

This app will appeal to Lalaloopsy fans, but even children who are not familiar with the show will enjoy playing it. It is fun, but also works on multi-tasking, memory, time management and fine motor skills. Each section starts out very simply and then gets more challenging as you juggle multiple orders at once – making sure you not only create the right combination but deliver it to the right customer in a timely manner. The customers in Lalaloopsy Land though are very patient- as long as you don’t take their order they will wait patiently, smiling and waving. It’s only once their order has been taken that they get impatient if they wait too long, this means that young children can take orders at a slower pace if they aren’t up to multi-tasking and still have happy diners. I did find that sometimes the app could be a little finicky about the exact placement when putting food on to cook – I had to several times re-do putting pancake batter in a pan or putting a sausage on to cook, this may be frustrating for young kids or those with poor fine motor skills. All the strange topping choices add a bit of extra fun too, and kids will enjoy collecting buttons to upgrade their kitchen and diner. The customer’s orders are all presented visually, so reading is not required to play the app, it will appeal to children from pre-school though elementary school, and I even enjoyed playing it myself!

Overall, a great child-friendly alternative to time management games like Diner Dash.

What we love…

beautiful graphics which make you feel like you are flying through the air, an app that has a wide appeal to a variety of audiences. Great app for practicing fine motor skills

What we’d love to see…

removal of the GameCenter or at least the ability to turn it off, the ability to have an easier setting for younger players

Summary

This app will provide many hours of enjoyment and the graphics are top notch providing a very enjoyable experience for all. I found myself playing it many times just to stretch out the dream a few moments longer to see the beautiful scenery.

Our Rating

Buddy and Me by Sunbreak Games is a universal app designed for iOS and Kindle Fire devices. This app features Buddy (the flying animal) and a little boy who set out on an adventure to capture as many stars as possible as well as staying safe from the obsticles. Sunbreak Games is a independent game development studio based in Washington that was founded in 2012 and was named after a “sun break” which describes warm sunshine breaking through cloudy skies. This app provides an immersive experience as the little boy runs along with his friend Buddy flying through the air in an enchanted forest with the aim of capturing stars as well as hidden surprises including double stars, extra time all while moving along in a two minute sequence. The app will allow you to earn extra time and hold on to your “dream” just for a moment longer. This app is designed for older elementary aged children through adults and will practice observation skills, fine motor coordination, time management, finding hidden objects and more.

A few tips on gameplay:

Flying on Buddy – which is unlocked by filling the Buddy flight bar using the stars pauses time and allows you to pick up more stars and special bonuses as well as covering more territory

Reaching the “bridges” pauses time as well as allowing you to look at the great background scenery. Any new bunnies you pick up will sing and give you a five second bonus each

Blue stars give an additional 10 seconds and green stars allow the player to go faster (until he falls) and also make it easier to reach bridges – you can collect up to three to go faster

Golden 2x stars double the value of star seeds which make it faster to have a Buddy Flight

One of my favorite parts of the app was flying through the air on Buddy’s back and imagining myself as the little boy capturing all of the star seeds, capturing . This app is better for children who are a little bit older since it requires quite a bit of fine motor dexterity in order to do all of the jumps between the bridges in the enchanted forest as well as going to the upper and lower levels of the bridge. The graphics in this app were top notch and each time we played, we found ourselves noticing additional items in the background which we had not noticed in a previous play through. I also liked that the app will take a finite amount of time in order to play through which means that it’s perfect for those moments in the car when you are waiting for kids, or as a quick reward to children for a chore completed or a task completed. The music in the app is catchy but not annoying and it will provide hours of fun for the entire family. The app allows your jump height to vary using either a single tap, double tap or triple tap which employs the use of the little boy’s hoodie to fly through the air.

In terms of enhancements to the app, I would like to see a parent locked section that would allow you to either use or not use the game center feature. If this feature was removed along with creating a setting for “easier” gameplay the app would appeal to younger children who would find the enchanted forest lots of fun. It might also be fine if you could change the avatar from a little boy to a girl. At later points since you feel like you are “repeating” it may feel repetitive since it doesn’t allow you to start where you left off in a traditional level.

As a parent, I really enjoyed the app and liked sharing it with my son. It contains no external links, in-app purchases other than the Game Center integration which can be controlled using the settings area of your iOS device. It was enjoyable for me to play as well as for my son to try although he did get a little frustrated at times when he couldn’t do all of the jumps. This app will provide many hours of enjoyment and the graphics are top notch providing a very enjoyable experience for all. I found myself playing it many times just to stretch out the dream a few moments longer to see the beautiful scenery.

Note – this app is on sale just for this weekend for $0.99 and I urge you to get it while it’s on sale!

Screenshots

Screenshots for iPad

NOTE: A fee was received to expedite this review to the top of our waiting list but this payment has not influenced the objectivity of the review and all opinions have been offered honestly.

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Meet the iMums

The iMums - Amanda, Alison, Mary and Grace - are four mothers from different parts of the world dedicated to informing parents about the best digital stories, educational apps, fun games and technology products available for their children. We also offer the latest news in apps for kids, interesting articles, developer interviews, free apps and regular giveaways! Read more.

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